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How do you calculate the exact value of $\tan 0^\circ$?

The exact value of tan(0)\tan(0^\circ) is 00.

To understand why tan(0)\tan(0^\circ) equals 00, we first need to examine the definition of the tangent function in trigonometry. The tangent of an angle in a right triangle is defined as the ratio of the length of the opposite side to the length of the adjacent side. This relationship can be expressed mathematically as:

tan(θ)=oppositeadjacent\tan(\theta) = \frac{\text{opposite}}{\text{adjacent}}

When the angle θ\theta is 00^\circ, the opposite side of the triangle is effectively 00 because the angle is positioned at the very start of the unit circle, lying along the x-axis. This situation implies that there is no vertical height to the triangle, rendering the length of the opposite side zero. In contrast, the adjacent side is not zero; it corresponds to the radius of the unit circle, which has a length of 11.

Thus, for θ=0\theta = 0^\circ, we have:

tan(0)=01=0\tan(0^\circ) = \frac{0}{1} = 0

Another perspective to consider is the unit circle itself. The unit circle is defined as a circle with a radius of 11 centered at the origin of a coordinate plane. In the context of the unit circle, the tangent of an angle can also be understood as the ratio of the y-coordinate to the x-coordinate of the point where the terminal side of the angle intersects the circle. At 00^\circ, this intersection point is (1,0)(1, 0). Therefore, we find:

tan(0)=01=0\tan(0^\circ) = \frac{0}{1} = 0

This explanation demonstrates that, regardless of the approach taken, the value of tan(0)\tan(0^\circ) is consistently 00.

Answered by: Prof. Richard White
A-Level Maths Tutor
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